Feed planning - alternative approaches used by farmers

Abstract

The effort to promote formal feed planning and monitoring systems in New Zealand has been considerable. Despite this, several studies indicate that relatively few farmers have adopted these systems. Reasons for non-adoption of formal feed planning systems have been identified, but little is known about how farmers manage their pastoral farms in the absence of these systems. To this end, the feed management processes used by three successful farmers (2 dairy, 1 sheep and cattle) were investigated. Farmers separated the year into distinct planning horizons and alternated between formal and informal feed planning. Formal feed planning was used when critical decisions had to be made, accurate pasture measurement could be undertaken and the level of environmental uncertainty was perceived to be low. Informal feed planning, used at other times of the year, involved farmers accessing, from memory, plans that had worked in the past. These "typical" plans were modified in response to learning. In the face of uncertainty, micro-budgets were prepared at paddock level. Our findings raise the question with respect to planning and monitoring - should we continue to promote formal systems or learn how farmers do this and develop decision support systems in this context? Keywords: decision making, farmer knowledge, feed budgeting, planning, tactical management